The Soul Gem
by WinterDrake
Summary: While traveling back to her guild, Petra recieves a valuable soul gem as a reward for helping a creature in need. She takes it happily but just what is this presence she feels emanating from the gem? A presence that gets stronger the longer she carries the gem with her.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Under the cover of darkness, Petra Ral, a twenty-one year old human warrior carried a skeletal head of a guar as she crept away from a camp of slumbering adventurers. She wore her light armor, a medium quality dark leather set she only wore for stealth. It was harder sneaking in heavy armor so she had left her platemail set with her horse. The leather armor covered her completely, from the toes to her ginger hair, and only left her amber eyes bare.

In the camp, there had only been one man awake keeping guard with five more sleeping in their bedrolls. Petra had easily been able to sneak behind the guard as he walked around the camp to knock him out. After that, she had searched through the camp until she found what she needed, the guar head. It was an odd thing to steal but it had not belonged to men and women of the camp. They had stolen it from its true owner and Petra had been asked to recover it.

A guar was a large lizard-like pack animal that was common across Morrowind, both domestic and wild. Petra did not understand why the owner was so insistent she bring back this particular head but this was a very unusual request. The guar head she held was covered in scratches and markings that resembled runes or some other sort of writing. Petra used her detect enchantment spell to sense if there was any magic in the item, but there was nothing.

As the warrior made her way to her rendezvous point, near a path to the mountains, she heard the familiar clicking of claws on stone. Normally for Petra, this sound meant a fight but she hoped there would not be one this time.

"Found?" A deep, gravelly voice asked as Petra stood a in front of a small cave. A green, reptilian head poked out of the cave first, checking the area, before the creature revealed itself completely. The creature's mouth was beaked and there was a large frill on its head. Each of its wickedly sharp claws was longer than her hand. It had three claws on each reptilian hand. It had a tail, but on this creature it was crooked, likely having been broken at one time. It was at least a foot taller than Petra.

Petra had defeated Clannfear before but never unscathed. If this creature tried to attack her, she would be in trouble. She believed this one would not harm her though.

"I think. Is this your friend?" Petra held up the skull, hoping her instincts were right and the beast was trustworthy. She had heard of this particular Clannfear before. It was an anomaly and lived near this path but never bothered anyone. She knew however that people did not treat the creature well when they encountered it. Clannfear, like most daedric beasts, did normally kill any humans they encountered so fear and anger were normal responses from humans.

" _Yesssss_. I can have?" The clannfear had some difficulty speaking human tongue. It used short sentences and would sometimes hiss out words. Its voice was masculine so Petra believed the Clannfear was male but she could be wrong. She didn't know the biology of daedric creatures.

"Yes but you must swear first."

"Yes, Yessss. Swear. Will not hurt soft skins if not hurting I. Swear."

Petra couldn't blame the Clannfear if hurt people trying to protect itself. As long as it did not try to hurt anyone unprovoked then she would be fine with that. She did not know if it would keep the promise but according to the rumors she had heard from travelers, it had not done anything other than watch people from time to time.

"Here." Petra cautiously neared the beast and placed the head in its outstretched claws. Petra tensed slightly, wary if the beast decided to attack.

" _Thank you_." Its voice was more… gentle? The Clannfear rubbed its head against the skull, making soft growling sounds. The beast was crazy, Petra decided. But it was a good crazy if it meant he would behave. She felt some pity for it as it must have been so lonely that it created an imaginary friend out of skull.

"Uh, you're welcome." Petra responded politely.

"Friend? You friend?" The Clannfear asked as the ginger haired warrior prepared to leave the two reunited friends.

"As long as you behave, yes." Petra smiled. This had been an odd day but she was slightly flattered that the Clannfear wanted to be friends.

"Friend must take reward." The daedric beast's claws clicked as it dashed into its home. A minute later it came back without the head and instead with a small golden item in its claws. Petra had forgotten that it had offered her a reward as well.

"Good human take soul. Dremora lord soul strong."

"Ah, thank you." She held out her hand as the Clannfear gently deposited the item on it. It was a grand sould gem, a round, metal coin-like item with a fiery colored semi-transparent stone set in the middle.

"Friend come back? Back to Dralin?"

"Maybe not for some time but I'll try. I promise." It might be time consuming but coming back would allow Petra to keep an eye on things here. She truly hoped the Clannfear would not attack anyone so she would not have to kill it.

The reptilian beast nodded as Petra left to get her horse. As it watched her leave, it spoke again.

"Two friends now. Two."

* * *

 _I'm not too well versed in the lore and characters of the Elder Scrolls series so things may not be correct but its an AU so I figure its okay._

 _Please let me know of any mistakes!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"So you just helped it?" Oluo was incredulous. His eyes were wide in disbelief as he listened to his guildmate's story. Petra had just been telling him, Eld and Gunther about her encounter with the Clannfear. She had arrived back to her guild two days after her encounter with the beast.

All four friends sat in the guild's dining area. It consisted of four long tables that could seat twenty people each. There was another smaller table in the front where the leader and the high ranking members sat together. None of the four friends wore their armor today, taking a day off to relax and hang out.

"What if that thing attacked you? What if you got caught stealing the damned skull and those men and women killed you?" Oluo continued harshly.

"I can handle myself Oluo!" Petra argued. His scolding tone was irritating her.

"I would doubt you could against six opponents."

"I was careful!" Petra almost growled. Secretly, she knew he was right but she didn't want to admit it. The young woman wasn't really sure why she helped Dralin, but she had and nothing terrible happened.

"Oluo, calm down. I'm not too happy about this either but you know Petra is better than any of us in stealth. Just what made you accept a request from a Daedra though?" Eld asked.

"Honestly? I really don't know. I heard about Dralin, the Clannfear, from several adventurers. They told me they came across an odd one, always holding a skull and talking to itself. They said it liked to watch people as they passed and would always flee instead of attack when neared."

"I guess they didn't realize it was talking to a skull." Eld snickered, imagining the sight of a vicious clannfear with its best friend, a guar skull.

"No, I guess they didn't. I wasn't even going to go that way but a man I met in a tavern informed me that the the only other route back here was blocked the Imperial Legion. I forget his name, it might have been Sam or something. He also told me about the clannfear and swore as long as no one attacked it was harmless." Sam had been an odd man. When he first saw her the man had smiled very widely, like he knew something she didn't. Petra had been a little unnerved the but the man had been very charming when he came up to speak to her.

"I heard about the block. Apparently some townsmen got so drunk they ended up setting some Legion buildings on fire. They closed off the bridge until they could find the culprits." Gunther explained.

"Well, I didn't have a choice so I took the longer mountain path. When I was passing by his home, Dralin followed me for some time. It was a little alarming but when I confronted him, he didn't attack like Sam told me. I was surprised when it began to talk and I listened. I felt... bad... for it when it said it wanted his friend back and offered me a reward. I was quite confident I could get in and out without trouble so I decided to help. I don't know why but I felt like it was something I needed to do."

"Hmm, well if what the Clannfear said was true, you got an amazing reward. A grand soul gem with a Dremora Lord soul will go for quite a bit of gold." Eld considered.

"If its true." Petra wasn't sure she believed the creature but it would be interesting if it were true. Petra did not like trapping the souls of creatures in gems. She was not sure if the soul was destroyed in the process of crafting or if it was then transferred to the item enchanted. The ginger haired warrior heard rumors that the souls were not destroyed but were trapped in another dimension with no hope of escape. No matter what happened, the thought of that made the warrior shudder. Having your very soul trapped was a terrifying thought so she refrained from doing it to other creatures. Though she would not actively trap and use souls, she still used and bought enchanted items. They were too useful and too much a part of society to avoid.

"It could be. I just hope this little incident doesn't cause you trouble in the daedric circles. You never know if something we mortals have done will get some unwanted attention from them or their gods." Gunther warned.

"Oh… I didn't really think of that." Petra sighed. "I'm sure it will be fine though. And I'm not sure I would sell the gem. I wouldn't feel right using it either. It just feels… wrong?"

"I know what you mean. I've heard there are other types of soul gems that can take a human soul. I wouldn't want someone trapping my soul and treating it as a commodity."

"I think you should check to see what kind of soul is in the gem, if any. Oluo can go with you to the enchanter today." Eld suggested and smirked. "You can then rub it in his face when she tells you that the gem really has a Dremora Lord soul."

"It's not real. She just got tricked."

"We'll see about that." Petra replied, hoping now that the gem really did contain the soul Dralin said it would.

* * *

"Where did you get this?" The blonde-haired enchanter asked as he inspected the gem. He was dressed in pale blue robes with many rings adorning his hands. Both Oluo and Petra had to carefully navigate his shop to find him as it was cluttered with weapons, armor and a random assortment of items. He was not a very organized man.

"I found it in an old ruin." Petra figured that would be easier to believe.

"Yes, this gem does contain a soul. Old too, from the looks of it."

"Is it from a Dremora Lord?" Petra tried not to get her hopes up. The clannfear could have easily been lying to her.

"Hmm, no." The man answered. Petra cursed in her mind, realizing she would never hear the end of it from Oluo, but the man continued. "I have seen many Dremora Lord souls but this is not one. It is on the same caliber though. It would be equivalent to one, if not a little better."

"Do you know what it's from?" Oluo asked, a little curious.

"Not really, its daedric, that much I can tell. This is a very curious soul gem. I would say that it would be worth as much as a Dremora Lord."

"Still think it was such a bad decision Oluo?" Petra smirked as she turned to her companion.

"I guess not." Came his grudging reply.

"Were you looking to sell it? I would have lower the price because of the age of the gem but you'd still be making quite a bit of coin. You never know if age will have ruined the quality of the soul. And-"

"I'm not selling it. I just needed your help in identifying the soul." For some reason, the enchanter asking to buy the gem caused Petra a brief flash of panic.

"Oh, pity. I needed a strong soul for an axe I wanted to enchant." The man seemed very disappointed.

"I apologize. I do hope you can find one elsewhere. And thank you greatly for the help."

"You're very welcome! But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me!"

* * *

"Petra?" Oluo spoke as the two left the shop. She turned to face him. "Well, I guess I should apologize."

"No, Oluo. I think should apologize. The gem easily could have been worthless or I could have been attacked."

"How about we call it even then?"

"That works for me." Petra smiled at her friend, pulling out the golden gem from her pocket. She was still a little surprised that Dralin had not been lying.

"So... You're really not going to sell the gem? You'd be swimming in gold for a bit."

"No, I can't really bear to sell it. And I don't feel right using it. I think I'm just going to keep it as a memento or something." Petra felt very attached to the gem for some reason. The thought of it selling or using it just made her feel guilty. "Since its pretty much going to be useless, maybe I could turn it into a piece of jewelry or something."

"Its going to be a very expensive piece of jewelry." Oluo laughed as the two walked back to their guild.

* * *

Petra woke with a start, her hand going for the dagger underneath her pillow. The warrior jumped out of bed and glanced around her room with her weapon drawn. She cast the Night Eye spell from a ring she always wore to see more clearly in the dark. She quickly searched her room for hidden threats but there was nothing. Petra could not shake the feeling that something was here, however. She could almost feel some sort of presence.

The feeling faded and Petra felt very silly. She believed the feeling must have just been the remnants of a nightmare. Eventually, the tired woman lay back down and fell back asleep.

* * *

 _Here's chapter 2 finally. :)_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Petra!" Gunther's deep voice called her name. Petra turned to find the tall, dark haired man running up to her with a small smile on his face. He stopped in front of her and held out something in his right hand.

"Here." Gunther offered.

At first glance, Petra thought it was just a chain. Looking closer, Petra could see that it was a necklace with her soul gem as the pendant. The woman had left the gem in her room that morning before she took a bath. She wasn't surprised to see that Gunther had somehow gotten to it. Her friends had free access to her room and she to theirs. They rarely cared if they borrowed each other's things as long as they informed each other that they did.

The necklace was pretty. A thin metal chain had been wrapped around the soul gem to attach it to a longer chain. The longer chain's links were small but shaped elegantly, almost like flower petals. Petra guessed Oluo had something to do with this since she mentioned making a necklace of the gem to him several days ago. Petra's heart warmed at the thoughtful gesture even though she had been joking about it.

"Oh, Gunther! That's so sweet, thank you!" The woman exclaimed as she took the gift.

"Oluo didn't think you weren't really serious but he figured I might as well do it as practice. I starting forging the chain two days ago. It took a while but its some of my best work. I might even like it as much as my new dagger." Gunther smiled as he pulled out the weapon from its sheath. It was a beautiful piece of weaponry, engraved with swirling designs on its hilt.

Gunther was proficient in smithing. He would always take time to practice making armor, weapons and occasionally jewelry. Some of his friends most powerful weapons and armor had been crafted or repaired by his hands.

"I love it Gunther. I'd have probably lost the gem eventually so this is perfect in helping me keep an eye on it. I'll wear it right now." Petra grinned widely as she placed her new necklace around her neck. She tucked it underneath her armor. The necklace hung past her collarbone, close to her heart. Petra did not own much jewelry but she knew she would love this piece because her friend had made it for her.

The woman shivered when the gem pressed against her skin. It felt strange. She shook her head and ignored the feeling until it passed. It was probably just her imagination.

* * *

Petra had been a warrior a few years now and had gained a bit of a reputation, along with her friends. She, Gunther, Eld and Oluo were some of the best warriors in their guild. Not _the_ best but they planned on becoming it one day. It was a dream of theirs.

The four guildmates were known to work best together, though they never had the chance to do this often. Most of their quests only required a single person to complete. Petra was personally known to be compassionate to those who needed help and merciless to those that did wrong.

Currently, Petra was armored up as she traveled on her trusty steed, Elva. Her latest quest had taken her far outside the city where she had escorted a man to a shrine. He was afraid that he would be attacked by bandits or animals and wanted protection. Petra had eagerly taken the request. The man hadn't been able to offer a reward but Petra didn't mind.

As she rode in the direction of home, the ginger-haired warrior held onto the reigns of her horse with her right hand while her left wandered over to the gem. She had developed a habit of playing with it when she was thinking or nervous.

It had been a week since Gunther had turned the soul gem into a necklace. The woman had carried it everywhere with her since. Petra could swear she could almost feel some sort of power radiating from the gem. It was always slightly warm to the touch. She wasn't sure if this was normal but it seemed harmless. The woman had never carried a soul gem before so it was likely that it was. With that in mind, Petra decided she should just ignore the odd quirks of the necklace.

* * *

"Hurry up Gunther!" Petra shouted to her friend as she ran to catch up to Oluo and Eld. Both men were far ahead of their other two companions and well on their way back to the city. Petra was determined not to allow Oluo or Eld reach their guild first and panted harshly as her legs burned with her spint. Gunther followed closely behind. Eld and Oluo had taken Elva and Gunther's horse, Sagittarius so the two had to return to the city by foot. Petra knew she and Gunther would not catch up but she was still willing to try.

The four friends had agreed that whoever reached the guild first would choose the location they would celebrate in tomorrow night. They wanted to spend some of the gold they had earned in their latest quest. Oluo and Eld always chose the cheapest bars in the city as they liked to gamble their gold and get into bar fights. Both men were excellent in hand in hand to hand combat and usually won, netting them more gold than they lost. Gunther and Petra didn't like their chosen locations as much and preferred ones that weren't as seedy.

It was thanks to Eld that they would be celebrating. He had charmed a noblewoman into offering him a generous reward for retrieving an item taken from her. Bandits had stolen her ring and she wanted it back. The woman had been quite distraught, the ring being a family heirloom.

The noblewoman knew her ring was in the bandit den called Hollow Log Cave and asked Eld to venture there. The blonde man was careful and asked his three friends to come with him as well. The criminals he would face had a large group and it would be foolish to go alone, he knew.

The four guildmates had gone in together and proceeded to clear out the den by defeating and knocking their enemies unconsciousness. Their guild disliked killing unless necessary, so all four members prefered non-lethal methods of taking care of criminals. Petra and her friends would usually tie the bandits up and take them to prison afterwards, which was what they did in this case.

Petra and her friends had been able to come out of the den mostly unscathed and with only one close call. The warriors had believed they cleared out the den but they hadn't realized one enemy had escaped them and hid. While the guildmates were busy looting the place, the lone bandit had taken his bow and prepared to fire at Eld from up high.

Petra would not have noticed but her necklace burned and she swore she heard someone growl at her to look up. She did and noticed the man preparing to fire at her friend. Petra was not the greatest magic user but she had quickly shot a fire spell at the bandit and startled him enough that his shot went wide. Eld quickly retaliated and shocked the man unconscious with a powerful spell.

Eld had thanked her profusely, laughing off the close call. Petra didn't mention the voice, knowing her friends would think she was crazy. She took out the necklace and eyed it warily, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe she had imagined it? Afterwards, she and her friends checked the den one more time for any more surprises and went back to looting.

In the end, the quest had been very profitable as they had been able to obtain some very good loot from the den, had been rewarded by the guards for the capture of the criminals and gotten their reward from the noblewoman.

* * *

In the weeks she had it, Petra had grown very fond of her necklace. She still carried it everywhere but rarely took it out from beneath her clothes or armor. When seen, sometimes people would ask what kind of creature she had defeated to make such a trophy of the gem. Had it been some sort of sinister beast? Petra didn't like the questions as she wasn't a fan of soul trapping or of people thinking she used that spell.

Petra knew she was crazy but she swore could almost feel some sort of presence from the gem. She hadn't said anything to her friends but she now knew for sure there was something strange about the gem. Petra did not know how but she could almost say the gem had a… personality. Rough, brash and quick to irritation is just a few words she would use to describe it.

Lately, the woman could almost feel disapproval when she cleaned, like she hadn't done a good enough job. Even when she was fighting or traveling, any mistakes she made were met with some sort of strange reprimand. When she was training, the woman felt like someone was telling her how she could better herself, though she heard no words. Petra wondered if it was her own conscious doing this but she had a feeling it was her necklace.

Thanks to these odd occurances, Petra had improved her fighting skills. She spent less time trying to overpower enemies like her friends and more time trying to find their weaknesses and used her shorter height and agility to her advantage. Her friends had noticed her improvement and praised her. Because of this, Petra kept quiet about the gem. How could she explain it anyway?

* * *

One night Petra dreamed of a man. He was just a little taller than her and wore daedric armor. Two swords were strapped onto either hip, both daedric as well. There were dark circles underneath the man's grey eyes. He didn't look like he slept much.

The unidentified male was staring at her, almost angrily.

"Who are you?" Petra asked, knowing this was a dream but still curious. The man's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to respond when the dream ended.


End file.
